Material: Pigment ink Giclée print on archival fine art paper mounted to Dibond, Bespoke remote controlled multi-orientational frame w. aluminium & 3 mm Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic
The concept for “The Frame” emerged from my obsession with changing the orientation of my abstract photographs and a desire to create that same experience for others.
Whether it be on the back of my camera, computer, or after the seemingly never-ending anxious wait for the scans of my film negatives, no analysis, admiration or dismissal of any piece can truly begin until it is experienced from all four orientations. However, with every intention of transforming these photographs into physical artworks, when it came to the framing, I knew I had to figure out a way to enable this same experience in person.
Initially, I assumed rotatable frames in some form existed and could be purchased. But after scouring the internet, the only thing I found was Damien Hirst’s continuously spinning circular artworks. I couldn’t find a single art frame that could rotate my work remotely on command. It didn’t exist.
My initial thought was to mount a lazy susan on the back of a frame. But that just seemed, well, lazy. My next natural step was to search google for the ‘world's best art framer.’ Ironically, I stumbled on an article where Damien Hirst mentioned that anytime he had a unique framing requirement, Mark Darbyshire and his team were always up for the challenge.
Luckily for me, he was. So with the help of Mark and the Darbyshire team, as well as design engineer Cory Burr and programmer Jude Robinson, we created ‘The Frame.’ A bespoke frame that can rotate my artwork in either direction remotely, without the need to rehang it.
Less than a year later I found myself halfway around the world in the UK, standing in front of ‘The Frame’ in Mark’s workshop. And when controlling it for the very first time, I couldn’t help myself from thinking… Is there such a thing as free will? Do I really have the ability to decide whether to rotate my artwork left or right? Or is my fate already decided and any feeling of free will, is nothing but a convincing, yet stubbornly persistent illusion.
It’s a question pondered in both science and philosophy, and more than likely I’ll never know. That said, I do enjoy having the freedom to think about and view the world from different perspectives. Something I feel we should all do a lot more of … a lot more often.
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Currently on display within ‘The Frame’… is the untitled artwork known as 210407-1126. A photograph from the ongoing series ‘Transforming Space Time’, captured naturally in-camera, near the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica in April of 2021.
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Transforming Space Time:
The first hints of Miles’ ongoing series ‘Transforming Space Time’ began to emerge in 2017, while shooting long exposure photographs in Costa Rica. However, it was not until a couple of years later, that he realised he was slowly building a body of abstract work. Original photographs, captured naturally in-camera, that aren’t meant to record or reflect the world as we see it. Instead using the light, colours and contrast surrounding him to create something completely new. Works of art that are unpredictable, chaotic and abstract. Always un-cropped, un-manipulated and left as initially exposed in camera.
At times some elements may be recognizable or feel familiar, like a branch, flower or whatever else managed to hold onto its original form. However, Miles’ true fascination stems from what appears within his abstractions. Figures, faces, symbols and other recognizable forms seem to emerge subconsciously.
But just as quickly as these ‘perceptions’ emerge, with a simple rotation of its orientation, they vanish. Almost like a complete perceptual reset, with each new orientation presenting a new perspective.
Whether reviewing his work on the back of a camera, 35mm film negatives, or on his computer, Miles never truly feels he’s seen a work until he’s experienced it in all four orientations. A practice that he feels is vital to viewing his work. It was this desire, to make it a tangible real world experience that resulted in ‘The Frame.’ A bespoke frame created in 2021, designed to rotate an artwork in either direction remotely, without the need to re-hang it.
While not all artworks will have their own mechanical frame, all artworks in the series ‘Transforming Space Time’ will be housed in bespoke frames. Frames that allow anyone hanging the art to choose the orientation that speaks to them at that particular time, and have the freedom to change it at any point in the future.
Miles’s desire to explore his art from multiple perspectives is pushed even further, by his decision to create a second companion artwork for each photograph. A mirrored reflection of the original exposure. Allowing the artworks to be experienced either on their own, or symmetrically, in diptych. He continues to encourage experimentation and shifting perspective, by rotating the works and swapping their positions. A subtle reminder about how easily our perceptions can change, with a simple shift in perspective.
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Availability & current Location of ‘The Frame’ as of Nov. 22, 2022:
Available for exhibition & currently located in London, UK.
Dimensions, Technical Specs & Power Requirements for ‘The Frame’:
Aluminium frame with white powder-coated finish, glazed with 3 mm Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic® (99% UV filtering, low glare).
Frame size: 1152mm x 777mm x 100mm with a 10mm gap to the wall
Drive assembly size: 450mm (width) x 400mm (height) with 400mm C/C for mounting holes
Clearance required for rotational circle: 1400mm
Remote Size: 14.5cm (including dial) x 9cm x 9cm
Plinth for remote: 100cm x 28cm x 28cm
Input power is with a 36V, 200W switch mode power supply allowing main input within the following parameters;
Full Input Voltage Range 85~264Vac
Full Frequency Range 47-63Hz
AC Current < 3.5A
In Rush Current <50A@230Vac <30A@115Vac
Power supply for the remote is also a switched mode with an input of 100-240VAC at 50/60Hz, and an output of 5VDC = 2A
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Artwork currently displayed in 'The Frame':
Untitled, 2021
Identity: 210407-1126
From the series ‘Transforming Space Time’
Archival pigment print on Canson® Infinity Rag Photographique
Dibond® mounted & currently displayed in ‘The Frame’, 2021.
3 mm Tru Vue Optium Museum Acrylic® (99% UV filtering, low glare)
Edition size of 1 (+ 1 AP)
Artwork displayed is the Original Exposure
Also available in diptych with 1/1 Mirrored Reflection (+ 1 AP)
Exposed on: Full frame digital SLR
Time exposed: ¹⁄₁₅ sec
Exposure adjusted by 0
Capture location: Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Size, availability & current location of the artwork 210407-1126, as of Nov. 22, 2022:
Original Exposure: 30 x 45 inches (76.2 x 114.3 cm). Available. currently located in London, UK.
